title: Localization of odors can be learned.
abstract: Chemicals selectively stimulating the olfactory nerve typically cannot be localized in a lateralization task. Purpose of this study was to investigate whether the ability of subjects to localize an olfactory stimulus delivered passively to 1 of the 2 nostrils would improve under training. Fifty-two young, normosmic women divided in 2 groups participated. One group performed olfactory lateralization training, whereas the other group performed cognitive tasks. Results showed that only subjects performing lateralization training significantly improved in their ability to lateralize olfactory stimuli compared with subjects who did not undergo such training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Smell and Taste, University of Dresden Medical School, Dresden, Germany. simonanegoias@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Negoias
authors.forename: Oxana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aszmann
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Croy
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033281:Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation; D009812:Odorants; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: directional smelling; lateralization; olfaction; olfactory training; smell; trigeminal system